Optimized signaling of demodulation reference signal patterns

ABSTRACT

Orthogonality in cyclic shift (CS) and orthogonal cover code (OCC) selection for DMRS in MIMO is improved by new n DMRS  to n DMRS   (2)  mapping patterns. Values in the mapping tables are arranged in sets, with minimum CS separation between the values in each set. Additionally, the semi-static n DMRS  is independently configurable for each UL component carrier (CC) in the case of cross-CC scheduling in carrier aggregation, and the PHICH allocation formula that defines the allocation of the PHICH process relative to the k th  codeword (CW) on the c th  UL CC is a function of both the CS index n DMRS,k,c   (2)  that is dynamically assigned to a certain layer of the considered CW and the semi-static CS offset n DMRS,c   (1)  for the c th  CC.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/169,733, filed Jun. 27, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/358,985, filed Jun. 28, 2010, thedisclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to wireless communicationnetworks, and in particular to the selection of orthogonal transmissionparameters for reference signals in MIMO and carrier aggregationsystems.

BACKGROUND

Wireless communication networks are a ubiquitous part of modern life inmany areas. The inexorable trend in wireless communication developmentis a demand for higher data rates, to deliver a broader array ofservices and a richer user experience. One recent development with thepromise to improve data rates and reliability is the use of multipleantennas in a transmitter and/or receiver. The use of multiple antennason both the transmitter and receiver results in a multiple-inputmultiple-output (MIMO) communication channel, having the greatestperformance gains over single-antenna or hybrid systems.

Wireless communication networks operate under one or more industrystandards, such as WCDMA, WiMax, GMS/EDGE, UTMS/HSPA, and the like. Onesuch standard is the Long Term Evolution (LTE), developed andpromulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Release 10of the LTE standard, also known as LTE Rel-10, or LTE-Advanced, supportsMIMO antenna deployments and MIMO related techniques. A current workingassumption in the uplink (UL) of LTE Rel-10 is the support of a spatialmultiplexing mode (SU-MIMO) in the communication from a single UserEquipment (UE) to the base station, or enhanced Node B (eNodeB or eNB).SU-MIMO targets high data rates in favorable channel conditions. SU-MIMOconsists of the simultaneous transmission of multiple data streams onthe same bandwidth, where each data stream is referred to as a layer.Multi-antenna techniques such as linear precoding are employed at thetransmitter in order to differentiate the layers in the spatial domainand allow the recovery of the transmitted data at a receiver.

Another MIMO technique supported by LTE Rel-10 is MU-MIMO, wheremultiple UEs belonging to the same cell are completely or partlyco-scheduled on the same bandwidth and time slots. Each UE in theMU-MIMO configuration may possibly transmit multiple layers, thusoperating in SU-MIMO mode.

It is necessary to allow the receiver to estimate the equivalent channelassociated with each transmitted layer in the cell, in order to allowdetection of all the data streams. Therefore, each UE must transmit aunique reference signal (RS, or pilot signal) at least for eachtransmitted layer. Different types of RS are defined—including theDeModulation RS, or DMRS. The receiver is aware of which DMRS isassociated with each layer, and performs estimation of the associatedchannel by executing a channel estimation algorithm, as known in theart. The estimated channel is then employed by the receiver in thedetection process to recover the transmitted data from the received datastream.

According to the LTE Rel-10 standard, in its current status, a set ofpotential RS is defined, where each DMRS is uniquely defined by a cyclicshift (CS) value, with 12 CS values supported, and an orthogonal covercode (OCC), with 2 OCC values defined. In LTE Rel-8, downlink controlinformation (DCI) format 0 for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel(PUSCH) scheduling includes a 3-bit field (n_(DMRS)) for signaling ofthe CS for DMRS. To support SU-MIMO in the uplink of LTE Rel-10,multiple cyclic shifts and/or orthogonal cover codes must be signaled tothe UE for DMRS multiplexing. However, it is not practical to signalmultiple cyclic shift indices explicitly for all layers due to the largeoverhead that would be incurred. Accordingly, the working assumption forCS signaling is as follows:

Only one cyclic shift index is signaled in the corresponding DCI as inRel-8. The mapped cyclic shift value n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ from the signaledcyclic shift index n_(DMRS) is used for DMRS of layer-0; the cyclicshift values for other layers are derived from n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ according toa pre-defined rule. The table of FIG. 1 provides the working assumptionfor such pre-defined rule.

There are two possible OCC over the two DMRS symbols within onesub-frame (see FIG. 1). In addition to separating multiple DMRS bydifferent CS, OCC can be signaled to the UE to provide betterorthogonality among the multiplexed DMRS from different layers. Theworking assumption for OCC signaling in RAN1 is implicit signaling ofOCC:

The implicitly assigned OCC can be derived from the signaled cyclicshift value: n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾+n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, where n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ is providedby higher layers as a semi-static CS and n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ is the signaled(dynamic) CS value in the most recent DCI for the corresponding PUSCHtransmission, according to a pre-defined rule. The table of FIG. 1provides the working assumption for such pre-defined rule. No additionalbit is needed in the corresponding DCI for OCC signaling.

The working assumption for mapping from CS value to OCC is illustratedin the table of FIG. 1, where different OCC are mapped to adjacent CSvalues. Note that n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ itself will only be able to signal 8 CSvalues: 0, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10. However, n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾+n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾will be able to address all possible CS values.

The DMRS for each layer (also known as each virtual antenna) isconstructed according to the following procedure.

First, after receiving the dynamic CS value n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ from thecorresponding Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and thesemi-static CS value n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ from higher layers, according to thepre-defined rule depicted in Table 1, the mapped orthogonal cover codeindex is determined as: I_(OCC)=f(n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾+n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾).

Second, the DMRS for each layer/virtual antenna can be constructedaccording to the rules depicted in Table 1 for each rank:

TABLE 1 Layer-specific Rules for CS and OCC Calculation Layer (VirtualAntenna) DMRS in Slot 0 & 1 Rank-1 0 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, OCC Index:I_(occ) Transmission Rank-2 0 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, OCC Index: I_(occ)Transmission 1 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ + 6, OCC Index: 1-I_(occ) Rank-3 0 CS:n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, OCC Index: I_(occ) Transmission 1 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ + 3,OCC Index: 1-I_(occ) 2 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ + 6, OCC Index: I_(occ) Rank-4 0CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, OCC Index: I_(occ) Transmission 1 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ +3, OCC Index: 1-I_(occ) 2 CS: n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ + 6, OCC Index: I_(occ) 3 CS:n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ + 9, OCC Index: 1-I_(occ)

Note that, in Table 1, the CS values for each layer comprise the mappeddynamic CS value for layer 0, n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, offset by a predeterminedamount for each successive layer. Of these offsets, the minimum value isthree (i.e., for rank-3 and rank-4 transmissions). Also, note that theOCC index is the value determined from the table in FIG. 1 and thesemi-static CS value n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ for layer 0, and then alternating tothe other defined OCC value for each successive layer. Ideally, thecombination maximally separates DMRS in successive layers, by a CSseparation of three, and alternating OCC values.

Schemes for constructing the DMRS for multi-layer transmission, otherthan those in Table 1 above, are equivalently supported. For example,alternative rules for assigning the CS and OCC values for successiveLayers/Virtual Antennas based on n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ are possible.

In addition to MIMO support, 3GPP LTE Rel-10 additionally supportsmulti-carrier operations, also known as carrier aggregation, in order toimprove spectrum allocation size and flexibility. In case ofmulti-carrier operation, independent data channels are modulated ontoand transmitted on each of two or more carrier frequencies, known ascomponent carriers (CC), or simply “carriers.” The allocation of uplink(UL) and downlink (DL) carriers is flexible, so it is possible toallocate a different set and number of DL and UL carriers for a certainUE.

Cross-CC scheduling is a new Rel-10 resource allocation modality where asingle DL CC controls multiple UL CCs. Therefore, control informationfor all the controlled UL CCs may be conveyed on the same DL CC. Forexample, the collected ACK/NACK control messages (PHICH) referred to ULtransmissions for all the UL CCs may be collected on the same DL CC. Inorder to allow multiplexing of different PHICH messages on the same CC,each PHICH message is defined by unique n_(PHICH) ^(group) and n_(PHICH)^(seq) parameters, which are in turn functions of several allocationparameters including n_(DMRS) for a given CC. Therefore, the workingassumption in RAN1 is that cyclic shifts of UL DMRS are available asmechanism to avoid PHICH collisions. In particular, the workingassumption on the PHICH formulas is:n _(PHICH) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS))mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N _(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest index) /N _(PHICH)^(group) ┘n _(DMRS))mod 2N _(SF) ^(PHICH)   (1)where the parameters I_(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index),N_(PHICH) ^(group), I_(PHICH) and N_(SF) ^(PHICH) have the meaningsdefined in 3GPP TS 36.211, 36.212, and 36.213 (e.g., in V.9.0.0 of eachthe relevant specifications, which are all incorporated herein byreference in their entirety). That is, N_(SF) ^(PHICH) is the spreadingfactor size used for PHICH modulation. I_(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—)^(index) is the lowest physical resource block (PRB) index in the firstslot of the corresponding PUSCH transmission, N_(PHICH) ^(group) is thenumber of PHICH groups configured by higher layers, and I_(PHICH) is aconstant whose value depends on the current time-division duplex(TDD)/frequency division duplex (FDD) configuration (for example, thevalue of I_(PHICH) may depend on whether the UE is currently configuredto use a particular subset of the possible TDD UL/DL configurations,such that:

$I_{PHICH} = \{ \begin{matrix}1 & {{for}\mspace{14mu} T\; D\; D\mspace{14mu} U\; L\text{/}D\; L\mspace{14mu}{configuration}\mspace{14mu} 0\mspace{14mu}{with}\mspace{14mu} P\; U\; S\; C\; H} \\\; & {{{transmission}\mspace{14mu}{in}\mspace{14mu}{subframe}\mspace{14mu} n} = {4\mspace{14mu}{or}\mspace{14mu} 9}} \\0 & {otherwise}\end{matrix} )$Additionally, according to Rel-8 assumptions, n_(DMRS) in equation (1)is given by the latest DCI format 0.

In case of multi-codeword (CW) transmission on the same UL CC (as in thecase of multi-layer transmission), an individual PHICH should begenerated for each UL CW on each UL CC in the Cross-CC scheduling group.

The proposed working solution has several deficiencies. The schedulingflexibility appears to be limited in some cases of major practicalinterest, such as Cross-CC scheduling. Collision avoidance in PHICHsignaling imposes constraints in the UL-DMRS allocation that reducescheduling flexibility. Constraints on the allocation of UL-DMRS maylead to unnecessarily suboptimal performance in channel estimation dueto poor orthogonality between DMRS of different UEs or layers. Reducedflexibility in the DMRS allocation due to PHICH signaling constraintsleads to complex allocation procedures for DMRS. Finally, reducedflexibility in the scheduling due to DMRS constraints leads to complexresource allocation.

SUMMARY

According to certain embodiments described herein, various n_(DMRS) ton_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ mapping patterns are proposed, which allow CS and OCCselection for DMRS in MIMO operation to observe minimum effectiveorthogonality. Values in the mapping tables are arranged in sets, withminimum CS separation between the values in each set. Additionally, thesemi-static n_(DMRS) is independently configurable for each UL CC in thecase of cross-CC scheduling, and the PHICH allocation formula thatdefines the allocation of the PHICH process relative to the k^(th) CW onthe c^(th) UL CC is a function of both the CS index n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾that is dynamically assigned to a certain layer of the considered CW andthe semi-static CS offset n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ for the c^(th) CC.

One embodiment relates to method of determining CS and OCC valuesassociated with DMRS for multiple transmission layers, by a device in awireless communication system employing MIMO operation. A semi-static CSvalue n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ and a dynamic CS value n_(DMRS) are received. Apredetermined table is indexed with n_(DMRS) to obtain a first CS valuen_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ and an OCC value n_(DMRS) ^(OCC) associated with DMRS forlayer 0. Within the predetermined table, the CS values n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ arearranged in two or more sets of CS values n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, the CS valuesn_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ within each set being separated by a minimum predetermined,layer-specific offset. A first CS value associated with DMRS for otherlayers is derived by adding a predetermined, layer-specific offset ton_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾. A second CS value for each layer is calculated by addingn_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ and n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾.

Another embodiment relates to a method of determining CS and OCC valuesassociated with DMRS for multiple transmission layers and componentcarriers, and PHICH allocation, by a device in a wireless communicationsystem employing MIMO operation and carrier aggregation. A semi-staticCS value n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ associated with each component carrier (CC) inthe case of cross-CC scheduling is received. The allocation of the PHICHprocess relative to the k^(th) codeword on the c^(th) CC is a functionof both a first CS value n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ associated with DMRS for acertain layer of a codeword and the semi-static CS value n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾associated with the c^(th) CC.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a mapping table for DMRS cyclic shift values according to theprior art.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the prior art DMRS cyclic shift mapping formulti-carrier operation according to the table of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communicationnetwork.

FIG. 4 is a mapping table for DMRS cyclic shift values according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a mapping table for DMRS cyclic shift values according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a mapping table for DMRS cyclic shift values according to yetanother embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the DMRS cyclic shift mapping for multi-carrieroperation according to the table of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method of determining cyclic shift valuesfor DMRS.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of the DMRS cyclic shift mapping for multi-carrieroperation according to the table of FIG. 1 but using semi-static cyclicshift values according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 3 depicts a representative wireless communication network 10, suchas an LTE-Advanced network 10 (although embodiments of the invention arenot limited to this Radio Access Technology). A UE 12 communicates witha NodeB or eNodeB 14, which provides radio communication services to aplurality of UE 12 in a geographic area, or cell 16. The eNodeB 14 iscontrolled by a Radio Network Controller (RNC) 18, which connectsthrough a Core Network (CN) 20 to one more other packet data ortelecommunication networks, such as the Public Switched TelephoneNetwork (PSTN) 22.

The UE 12 includes a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver 30, which receivesand transmits wireless communication (e.g., data and control) signalsfrom and to the eNodeB 14 on one or more antennas 31A, 31B. Thetransceiver 30 is controlled by a controller 32, which may comprise ageneral purpose processor, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), or otherprocessing circuit, as known in the art. Functionality comprisingembodiments of the present invention may be implemented as softwaremodules stored in memory 34 and executed by the controller 32.

Similarly, the eNodeB 14 includes an RF transceiver 40, which receivesand transmits wireless communication signals from and to one or more UE12 in the cell 16, on one or more antennas 41A, 41B. The transceiver 40is controlled by a controller 42, which may comprise a general purposeprocessor, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), or other processing circuit,as known in the art. Functionality comprising embodiments of the presentinvention may be implemented as software modules stored in memory 44 andexecuted by the controller 42. Additionally, a table mapping a CS indexn_(DMRS) to a dynamic CS value for layer 0 n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, as discussedfurther herein, may reside in memory 44. The dual antennas 31A, 31B and41 a, 41 b on the UE 10 and eNodeB 14, respectively, indicate that thenetwork 10 supports SU- and MU-MIMO. Furthermore, the dual wirelesscommunication indicators mean that the network 10 supports carrieraggregation.

When employing multi-layer transmission it is important to achievemaximum orthogonality between the DMRS of the different layers bycombining CS and OCC separation and by maximizing the distance betweenadjacent DMRS. The minimum inter-DMRS distance becomes particularlyimportant when four layers are co-scheduled on the same CC. These layersmay all belong to the same UE or to different UEs co-scheduled inMU-MIMO configuration.

In order to maximize the distance between layers, the working assumptionin case of four layers per CC is to divide adjacent DMRS with acombination of three CS and possibly OCC. Simulation results show thatthe performance achieved with smaller inter-DMRS distance is notsufficient to achieve acceptable link performance in case of four-layertransmission.

In case of two layers per UE, the working assumption is to separate the2 DMRS of the UE by six CS values, while in case of three layers per UEthe working assumption is to divide the adjacent DMRS of the UE by threeCS values and OCC. Thus, according to the working assumption in Rel-10,DMRS should be allocated to positions that are multiple of three CSpositions in order to maximize spacing between DMRS belonging to thesame UE or to different UEs in MU-MIMO modality.

As previously observed, the n_(DMRS) field is used in Rel-8 also forPHICH allocation according to equation (1). In case of Cross-CCscheduling and multi-CW transmission, as for Rel-10, the PHICHallocation shall be different for each CW and each CC. A naturalextension of equation (1) is to substitute n_(DMRS) with n_(DMRS,k,c)⁽²⁾, thus obtaining:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N _(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod 2N _(SF) ^(PHICH)   (2)

In equation (2), the field n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ represents the CS index forone of the layers associated to the k^(th) CW on the c^(th) UL CC. Incase the considered CW is mapped to multiple layers (and so multiple CSvalues) n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ is chosen according to a rule. For example,n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ could be the CS associate to the DMRS corresponding tothe 1^(st) layer of the considered CW.

It is observed that the current mapping of n_(DMRS) to n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾values according, e.g., to the table of FIG. 1, does not respect thedesired regularity property, making it inefficient to schedule users,especially in MU-MIMO configuration. An example of this is demonstratedin FIG. 2, which depicts the CS/OCC spacing using the mapping table ofFIG. 1. In this example, two UL carriers are controlled by one DLcarrier. Two UE 12 are co-scheduled in MU-MIMO modality on each CC andtwo layers per UE 12 are assumed. According to Rel-10 workingassumptions, in case of rank-2 transmission (two layers per UE 12) adifferent CW is associated with each layer. Therefore, a PHICH instanceis generated according to the index n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ for each k^(th)allocated codeword on each c^(th) UL CC.

Note that, according to the working assumption in the prior art (e.g.,FIG. 1), the allocation of the CS on the second CC is suboptimal, as thespacing of three CS and OCC between adjacent layers is not respected.Following the mapping in FIG. 1 and the rules listed above in Table 1,the first two DMRS, transmitted on the first carrier, are assignedcyclic shifts of 0, 3, 6, and 9, with alternating OCC. However, this isnot possible for the DMRS transmitted on the second carrier. A CS of oneis not supported in the table of FIG. 1, so DMRS for layer 2 is mappedto a CS of 2. The rules of Table 1 require a minimum CS spacing ofthree; however a CS of five is not supported in the table of FIG. 1, soDMRS for layer 2 is mapped to a CS of 4.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a table mappingn_(DMR) to n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ values comprises a plurality of sets,wherein the CS values in each set have a minimum CS spacingcorresponding to the minimum among the layer-specific offsets specifiedin the rules of Table 1. In particular, of the twelve potential CSvalues, the table mapping n_(DMRS) to n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ values comprisestwo sets, and the minimum CS spacing in each set is three. FIG. 4depicts one embodiment wherein the table conforms to this restriction.In the table of FIG. 4, the mapping is constructed according to theprinciple of mapping 8 CS out of the grid of available 12 CS in aregular way, so that it is possible to allocate DMRS that are spaced bythree CS values in MU-MIMO settings. FIGS. 5 and 6 depict alternativemappings that conform to the same restriction.

FIG. 7 depicts the allocation of resources in the same example as forFIG. 2, but considering the allocation rule according to the embodimentof the present invention depicted in FIG. 4. It is now possible toachieve optimal inter-DMRS spacing for the considered configuration,thus overcoming the technical deficiency in the prior art mapping (e.g.,FIG. 1). In particular, the DMRS on carrier 0 are mapped to CS 0, 3, 6,and 9, with alternating OCC, as in the prior art. However, according tothe mapping of the table of FIG. 4, the DMRS on carrier 1 are able to bemapped to CS 1, 4, 7, and 10, also achieving a CS separation of three.

FIG. 8 depicts a method 100 of determining CS and OCC values associatedwith DMRS, for each transmission layer, by a transceiver, such as a UE12, in a wireless communication system 10 employing MIMO operation. Asemi-static CS value n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ is received (block 102), such as fromhigher layer signaling via an eNodeB 14. A dynamic CS index valuen_(DMRS) is received (block 104), such as in a DCI transmission from theeNodeB 14. A predetermined table is indexed with n_(DMRS) (block 106) toobtain one of, e.g., twelve first CS values n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ and an OCCvalue n_(DMRS) ^(OCC) associated with DMRS for layer 0. The CS valuesn_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ in the table are arranged into, e.g., two sets of CS valuesn_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾, the CS values n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ within each set being separatedby a minimum predetermined offset (e.g., three). For layers other thanlayer 0, a first CS value associated with DMRS for that layer is derivedby adding an integer multiple of the minimum predetermined offset ton_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ (block 108). A second CS value for each layer (the one usedto encode DMRS) is calculated by adding n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ and (n_(DMRS)⁽²⁾+offset) (block 110). An OCC value is calculated by adding n_(DMRS)^(OCC) (the OCC value for layer 0, obtained by indexing the table withn_(DMRS)) to a layer-specific offset (block 112). DMRS are then encodedusing the final CS and OCC values for each layer, and transmitted (block114). The DMRS are received and decoded, such as by the eNodeB 14, andare used to characterize the channel, as an aid in interpreting receiveddata streams on each layer. The process then repeats with the receptionof a new dynamic CS value n_(DMRS) (block 104). The semi-static CS valuen_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ is updated (block 102) on an infrequent basis by higherlevel signaling, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 8.

One embodiment of the present invention is based on a modification ofthe PHICH mapping rule. According to the prior art (e.g., Rel-8), thePHICH allocation is a function of the dynamically signalled DMRSallocation index n_(DMRS) on PDCCH.

However, flexibility in CS allocation is enhanced by the combined use ofthe dynamically signalled index n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ and a semi-staticallysignalled index n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾. According to one embodiment, n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾is employed in order to improve flexibility in PHICH resource allocationin case of cross-CC scheduling. In particular, the n_(DMRS) ⁽¹⁾ index issignalled per UL CC in case of cross-CC scheduling, and is re-labelledas n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ where c denotes the CC index.

Additionally, the PHICH allocation formula of equation (1) is modified.Dependency of the PHICH allocation on the DMRS index n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾for CW k and carrier c is introduced, optionally in conjunction with thesemi-static DMRS allocation offset per carrier n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾.

The modified PHICH allocation rule according to one embodiment is:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N_(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod 2N _(SF)^(PHICH)   (3)

The modified PHICH allocation rule according to another embodiment is:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N_(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod 2N _(SF) ^(PHICH)   (4)

The modified PHICH allocation rule according to another embodiment is:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N _(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod 2N _(SF)^(PHICH)   (5)

These embodiments achieve two objectives. First, multiplexing ofdifferent PHICH messages referring to different CW in cross-CCscheduling modality is enabled. Second, enhancement of DMRS allocationflexibility is achieved by exploiting the different n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ ondifferent CC.

FIG. 9 depicts an example, considering the same settings as thosedescribed with respect to the example of FIG. 2, and n_(DMRS,0) ⁽¹⁾=0and n_(DMRS,1) ⁽¹⁾=1 is considered. The n_(DMRS) to n_(DMRS) ⁽²⁾ mappingrule according to the prior art (i.e., the table of FIG. 1) isconsidered. The modified PHICH allocation rules according to any ofequations (3), (4) or (5) are considered. It is now possible to preserveoptimal DMRS allocation even in this setting, because none of theallocated DMRS are associated with identical (n_(PHICH,k,c) ^(group),n_(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)) parameters.

Embodiments of the present invention present numerous advantages overthe prior art. Embodiments enable greater orthogonally of DMRS byallowing for the minimum recommended DMRS separation in CS and OCC foreach transmission layer. Embodiments also allow for additionalefficiency in DMRS assignment compared to the prior art. Improvedscheduling flexibility is enabled for multi-carrier operation, and PHICHconstraints are reduced for practical scheduling configurations.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described hereinas being performed in a UE 12, based on CS parameters received from aneNodeB 14, the invention is not limited to this configuration. Rather,embodiments may be advantageously performed in any transceiver node of awireless communication network 10 that transmits reference signals toassist a receiver in channel characterization. Furthermore, althoughembodiments have been described herein with respect to an LTE-Advancednetwork 10, the present invention is not limited to this protocol orRadio Access Technology, and may be advantageously applied in a widevariety of wireless communication systems.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other ways thanthose specifically set forth herein without departing from essentialcharacteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and allchanges coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appendedclaims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of determining cyclic shift (CS) valuesassociated with DeModulation Reference Signals (DMRS) for a plurality oftransmission layers and allocating transmission resources, by a devicein a wireless communication system employing Multiple Input MultipleOutput (MIMO) operation and carrier aggregation, comprising: receiving asemi-static cyclic shift (CS) value n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ associated with eachcomponent carrier (CC) in the case of cross-CC scheduling; andallocating transmission resources for a Physical Hybrid Automatic RepeatRequest (HARQ) Channel (PHICH) transmission such that an allocation fora k^(th) codeword on a c^(th) CC is a function of both a first CS valuen_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ associated with a DeModulation Reference Signal (DMRS)for a certain layer of a codeword and the semi-static CS valuen_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ associated with the c^(th) CC.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein allocating transmission resources comprises determining one ormore resources to be used for a PHICH transmission based on valuesI_(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index), N_(PHICH) ^(group),I_(PHICH) and N_(SF) ^(PHICH), wherein N_(SF) ^(PHICH) isspreading-factor size used for modulation of PHICH, I_(PRB) _(—) _(RA)^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) is an index associated with a lowest physicalresource block (PRB) index in a particular slot of a correspondinguplink control transmission, N_(PHICH) ^(group) is a number of PHICHgroups and is configured by higher layers, and I_(PHICH) is a constantwhose value depends on a time-division duplex (TDD) or frequencydivision duplex (FDD) configuration being used.
 3. The method of claim2, wherein determining the one or more resources comprises determiningan index pair (n_(PHICH) ^(group), n_(PHICH) ^(seq)) associated with afirst resource, wherein n_(PHICH) ^(group) comprises a PHICH groupnumber and n_(PHICH) ^(seq) comprises an orthogonal signal index withinthe PHICH group number, and wherein:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N_(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod 2N _(SF)^(PHICH).
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the one or moreresources comprises determining an index pair (n_(PHICH) ^(group),n_(PHICH) ^(seq)) associated with a first resource, wherein n_(PHICH)^(group) comprises a PHICH group number and n_(PHICH) ^(seq) comprisesan orthogonal signal index within the PHICH group number, and wherein:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N_(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N _(PHICH)^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod 2N _(SF) ^(PHICH).
 5. The method ofclaim 2, wherein determining the one or more resources comprisesdetermining an index pair (n_(PHICH) ^(group), n_(PHICH) ^(seq))associated with a first resource, wherein n^(PHICH) ^(group) comprises aPHICH group number and n^(PHICH) ^(seq) comprises an orthogonal signalindex within the PHICH group number, and wherein:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N _(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod 2N _(SF)^(PHICH).
 6. An apparatus for determining cyclic shift (CS) valuesassociated with DeModulation Reference Signals (DMRS) for a plurality oftransmission layers and allocating transmission resources in a wirelesscommunication system employing Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)operation and carrier aggregation, comprising: a receiver operable toreceive a semi-static cyclic shift (CS) value n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ associatedwith each of one or more component carriers (CCs); and a controlleroperable to allocate transmission resources for a Physical HybridAutomatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Channel (PHICH) transmission such thatan allocation for a k^(th) codeword on a c^(th) CC is a function of botha first CS value n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ associated with a DeModulationReference Signal (DMRS) for a particular layer of a codeword and thesemi-static CS value n_(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾ associated with the c^(th) CC. 7.The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller is operable to allocatetransmission resources by determining one or more resources to be usedfor a PHICH transmission based on values I_(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest)^(—) ^(index), N_(PHICH) ^(group), I_(PHICH) and N_(SF) ^(PHICH),wherein N_(SF) ^(PHICH) is a spreading-factor size used for modulationof PHICH, I_(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) is an indexassociated with a lowest physical resource block (PRB) index in aparticular slot of a corresponding uplink control transmission,N_(PHICH) ^(group) is a number of PHICH groups and is configured byhigher layers, and I_(PHICH) is a constant whose value depends on atime-division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD)configuration being used.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, whereindetermining the one or more resources comprises determining an indexpair (n_(PHICH) ^(group), n_(PHICH) ^(seq)) associated with a firstresource, wherein n_(PHICH) ^(group) comprises a PHICH group number andn_(PHICH) ^(seq) comprises an orthogonal signal index within the PHICHgroup number, and wherein:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N_(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└_(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod 2N _(SF)^(PHICH).
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein determining the one ormore resources comprises determining an index pair (n_(PHICH) ^(group),n_(PHICH) ^(seq)) associated with a first resource, wherein n_(PHICH)^(group) comprises a PHICH group number and n_(PHICH) ^(seq) comprisesan orthogonal signal index within the PHICH group number, and wherein:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾ +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N_(PHICH) ^(group)_(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N _(PHICH)^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod 2N _(SF) ^(PHICH).
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein determining the one or more resources comprisesdetermining an index pair (n_(PHICH) ^(group), n_(PHICH) ^(seq))associated with a first resource, wherein n_(PHICH) ^(group) comprises aPHICH group number and n_(PHICH) ^(seq) comprises an orthogonal signalindex within the PHICH group number, and wherein:n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(group)=(I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) +n_(DMRS,k,c) ⁽²⁾)mod N _(PHICH) ^(group) +I _(PHICH) N _(PHICH) ^(group)n _(PHICH,k,c) ^(seq)=(└I _(PRB) _(—) _(RA) ^(lowest) ^(—) ^(index) /N_(PHICH) ^(group) ┘+n _(DMRS,k,c) +n _(DMRS,c) ⁽¹⁾)mod 2N _(SF)^(PHICH).